3 min readMay 20, 2026 10:50 PM IST
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Tuesday announced the schedule and venues for the 2026-27 domestic season, with the Ranji Trophy set to start on October 11.
The season will begin with the Duleep Trophy, which will be played at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Bengaluru between August 23 and September 10. The tournament will continue in the zonal format after the BCCI moved away from the India A, B, C and D model used earlier.
“The domestic season will commence with the prestigious Duleep Trophy from 23rd August 2026, marking the beginning of another extensive and highly competitive calendar that continues to elevate the standards of domestic cricket in India,” the BCCI said in a statement.
The board has also made changes to its Under-23 tournaments. The Men’s U23 State A Trophy and the Vizzy Trophy have been changed from 50-over competitions to T20 tournaments. The BCCI said the move was part of its efforts to align domestic cricket with the “evolving demands of the modern game”.
“As part of the BCCI’s continued efforts to align domestic cricket with the evolving demands of the modern game, the Men’s U23 State A Trophy and the Vizzy Trophy have been converted from One Day competitions to T20 tournaments,” the statement said.
Another key addition is the return of the Col. C.K. Nayudu Trophy Winners vs Rest of India match, which will be played from October 1 to 4.
“The upcoming season will witness the reinstatement of the Col. C.K. Nayudu Trophy Winners vs Rest of India fixture, scheduled from 1st to 4th October 2026. The match returns to the domestic calendar to provide an enhanced competitive platform for emerging U23 cricketers,” the statement added.
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The Irani Cup, meanwhile, will be held from October 1 to 5 in Srinagar/Jammu.
The Ranji Trophy will once again be played in two phases. The first phase of the league stage will run from October 11 to November 5, before the tournament will pause for white-ball domestic competitions. The second phase will resume on January 17 and continue until February 4, while the knockout matches are scheduled from February 9 to March 3.
The Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy will be held from November 14 to 26 across four centres – Mumbai, Vizag, Kolkata and Mohali. The knockout matches will take place in Nagpur from November 30 to December 6.
The Vijay Hazare Trophy will be played from December 14 to 29 across Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Ranchi and Rajkot. The knockout matches are scheduled in Vizag from January 2 to 8.
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The BCCI also confirmed that the knockout matches of the Cooch Behar Trophy Elite Group will be played in Bengaluru and Mysuru.
“The knockout stages of the Cooch Behar Trophy (Elite Group) will be played at Bengaluru and Mysuru. The move aims to ensure greater competitive balance for teams across all regions, particularly during the January knockout window when weather conditions can vary considerably,” the statement added. The 2026-27 domestic season will feature 1,788 matches across men’s, women’s and junior competitions.
